Imagine a sitting president ghosting a former commander in chief -- well, that’s exactly what unfolded as President Joe Biden, at 82, dodged calls from Barack Obama, 64, during a pivotal moment in his political career, as the New York Post reports.
This saga, drawn from Jonathan Karl’s forthcoming book Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, set for release on Oct. 28,, reveals a deep rift between two Democratic heavyweights as Biden wrestled with whether to end his re-election bid on July 21, 2024, amid mounting party pressure and personal tensions.
The backstory begins with Biden serving as Obama’s vice president for eight years, a partnership that seemed unbreakable -- until it wasn’t. Cracks emerged during Biden’s presidency, with whispers of strain due to Obama’s larger-than-life presence.
“Obama caused tension when he would visit the White House because he operated as if he still ran it,” a Biden White House official noted in Karl’s book. That’s a polite way of saying Obama’s charisma could eclipse even the Oval Office’s current occupant -- hardly a recipe for harmony.
Fast forward to June 27, 2024, when Biden stumbled badly in a debate against Donald Trump, an event that shook Democratic confidence. Less than a month earlier, at a fundraiser co-hosted by George Clooney that raked in about $30 million for the party, Biden reportedly froze and needed Obama to guide him offstage -- a moment of vulnerability that didn’t go unnoticed.
Then came the bombshell: Clooney, on July 10, 2024, penned a brutal op-ed in the New York Times declaring Biden “cannot win,” a public betrayal after smiling for the cameras at that very fundraiser. Talk about a Hollywood plot twist -- except this one cut deep into Democratic Party unity.
As the fallout grew, Obama tried reaching out to Biden for two weeks before the eventual campaign suspension, only to be met with silence. “Obama had been trying to get in touch with Biden for about two weeks, but his calls had not been returned,” Karl writes as ABC News chief Washington correspondent. If that’s not a cold shoulder, what is?
Biden wasn’t just ignoring Obama -- he also refused to take calls from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who spearheaded efforts among congressional Democrats to nudge him out of the race. With allies turning into adversaries, it’s no surprise Biden leaned hard on his tight-knit circle of advisers and family.
Polling data painted a grim picture, and calls from elected Democrats to step aside grew louder, pushing Biden toward his July 21, 2024, decision to drop out. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris played it cautious, avoiding outreach to lawmakers to prevent any misinterpretation as a power grab.
Harris knew the stakes: a wrong move could spark chaos in the party. Her quick endorsement by Biden, just 27 minutes after his announcement, was strategic -- she warned that any delay risked a messy fight for the nomination.
Yet, even with that swift backing, the road ahead for Harris wasn’t smooth, as later events would show. Her hesitation to rally congressional support stemmed from a fear of being seen as opportunistic -- a rare moment of political restraint in a cutthroat arena.
Back to Biden and Obama: the two didn’t speak until just before the Democratic National Convention, a full four weeks after Biden stepped back. That’s a long silence between men who once stood shoulder to shoulder in shaping America’s future.
Neither camp offered much clarity on the rift -- a Biden spokesperson declined to comment, while an Obama representative didn’t respond to inquiries. It’s the kind of quiet that speaks volumes, leaving observers to piece together a fractured alliance.
What’s clear is that Biden felt sidelined, even in his own White House, by a predecessor whose shadow loomed large. This isn’t just a personal spat; it’s a window into the messy, ego-driven underbelly of party politics where loyalty can turn on a dime.
As conservatives, it’s tempting to watch Democrats implode with a smirk, but let’s not forget the human cost of these power struggles -- trust erodes, and governance suffers. Still, when leaders prioritize pride over dialogue, it’s the everyday American who pays the price, stuck with a system that often feels more like a soap opera than a republic.
